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34 6 A Commentary
Chapter They looked upon it as the Honour, Glory, and
XL. Safeguard of'their Nation. This lying in Ruins
C/*V^O at the Time of this Vifion, the Jews had need
of being comforted, inflrucied, and humbled up-
on that Occafion-, they would not have cared for
the Thoughts of returning Home, were there
710 Promife made of reftoring the Temple, as
well as their Commonwealth -, the Temple being
theTledge ofGod's Prefence among them. Mo fes
his Ritual Law would foon have been adapted'
to the Manners of the Gentiles, where they lived,
if the Expectations of a new Temple, to which
moft of its Rites were fitted, had not refrained
their Tropenfity to Idolatry ; and they would
have been difpirited beyond meafure, as they were
afterward, upon Sight of their fecond Temple
if the 'Prophet had plainly foretold, that their
new Temple fhouldfall fbort of the Glory of the
old one : They were therefore to be incouraged
to the Obfervation of their Law, with the
Hopes ofreturning to rebuild their Temple,which
fhould be finifhed after the Plan of that of Solomon.
We cannot fuppofe any exact Model of Solomon^
Temple remaining, which might be tranfmitted
to thofe that returned from the Captivity -
3 for
it was abovefeventy Jearsfrom the c Deftrut~lion
of. the fir ft Temple to the Finishing the fecond,
inthefixth TearofDmus, Ezr. vi. 15. ^Du-
ring which Interval, the ancient Priefts muft
be all dead 5 and thofe that wereyounger could
have but confufed and very imperfect Ideas of
zt. To di r ec~t them therefore in the T>imenfions,
Tarts, Order, and Rules of their new Temple,
is
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